Blogging with the Enemy: Broncos

This week, I traded questions with Broncos blogger Garrett Barnes from Bronco Madness. My questions, and his answers, are below. Enjoy.

1. No one outside Denver gave the Broncos a chance last Sunday. Honestly, were you surprised a little bit by the win over the Bengals, or do you just chalk it up to it being the Bengals?

You're right, like the Browns, we have been pretty much counted out of the playoff race by the MSM (main stream media). On the other hand I truly believed that the Broncos had a chance this week and had predicted a win. I was surprised by a lot of things (like the strong play of our defense) but the win wasn't one of them.

2. What is the Broncos biggest strength this year -- the offense or the defense?

Had you asked me this a week ago, I would have said offense, hands down. But after the strong play by the defense last week I am leaning away from that. They both have their plusses:

I think that the Broncos are going to establish themselves as one of the best running teams in the NFL. Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and Peyton Hillis will add a big amount of "pop" to this offense. The passing game has good Wide Receivers and as you know an AMAZING offensive line but the question comes up with Kyle Orton. Can he establish himself as a solid QB in the league? I'm not ready to make a decision that just yet.

The defense showed me some promise in the front seven, of all places! Our Linebackers looked very good. Elvis Dumervil is a great pass rusher, Andra Davis and D.J Williams are powerhouses down the middle and I am kind of liking the play of Mario Haggan. I like our secondary a lot but I think that Champ Bailey is losing a step or two. Brian Dawkins as well. Our D-Line still hasn't proved itself to me. So because of that, I will have to say the offense over the defense. It's close though.

3. What, if anything, worries you about the Browns?

I am worried most of all about Joe Thomas. I have a great deal of respect for him and he could really disrupt this defenses rhythm. Besides winning the Bengals game because of a miracle, we won it because we put Carson Palmer under pressure. That started with Elvis Dumervil, and if Joe Thomas can stop Dumervil from having the impact he did last week it could cause a lot of trouble for our defense.

4. What are your three keys to winning this game on Sunday?

1. Establish Knowshon Moreno as force on offense. Since he was coming off of an injury last week, it was reasonable to say he wasn't going to have a very good game. He didn't. This week, I think that the Broncos need to establish him into both the inside and outside running game. Use him as a pass weapon, running weapon, blocking weapon, or whatever else it takes. We just need to have the Browns fear him. If we can do that, then I think it will be a big step towards winning the game.

2. Disrupt the QB/Offensive Line. As I mentioned earlier, if we can't disrupt Brady Quinn, our Defense loses. It's that simple. If we can get Elvis Dumervil and Mario Haggan coming in from both sides of the field, disrupting the Browns offense, then it will be a lot easier to make big plays.

3. Minimize Mistakes. We did a great job last week of not giving away turnovers and minimizing game changing mistakes. That said, we had a few drops here and there and didn't always look perfect but if we can improve those small mistakes and not make any big ones, then it will also minimize chances the Browns have to score.

5. What's your prediction on the outcome of this game/season?

I hate to say this to you Pete, but I'm predicting a Broncos win. Outside of Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas nothing really is overly impressive. I think that if the Browns can be able to build around those two pieces you may have a few good years, but for now, I'm predicting Broncos.

To read my answers to his questions, visit Bronco Madness.

Go Browns!

---